1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile grape and raisin harvesters and more specifically to harvesters for dry grapes which are supported on vines that are severed from the trunks of the vines and are left to dry in the sun while supported on the vines as raisins before being shook from the vines by the mobile harvester and collected by the harvester of the present invention. Alternately, the harvester can be used to remove grapes still attached to the vines and nourished by nutrients in the soil and be sold as wine grapes or grapes to be consumed by the public.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Assignee's Orlando U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,682 and divisional U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,190 covers an apparatus for shaking grapes from rows of vines by using eccentric weights which are mounted on shaker arms which have spaced elongated striker bars that are oscillated against the trunks of the grape vines and posts which support trellis wires that have clusters of grapes trained thereover which fall on take-away conveyors for transfer to collecting means.
Assignee's Orlando U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,521 is similar to the two above Orlando patents except that striker bars are used to resiliently whip foliage hanging from trellis wires which are supported by posts.
Assignee's Scudder U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,062 discloses a coffee harvester which utilizes an eccentric weight arrangement mounted on the upper ends of two shaker units for oscillating shafts carrying tines which dislodge coffee beans from the plants.
Assignee's Scudder U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,836 discloses a tractor drawn trailer having a vertical wall to which cantilever beams are pivotally connected. A single oscillating shaker unit is journaled in the two beams for moving the single oscillating shaker unit different distances from the vines being harvested. A pair of hydraulic cylinders are connected to rear wheels to maintain the axis of the shaker unit substantially vertical when harvesting fruit such as berries and coffee.